INS1-EGFP-L10a stable cell lines treated with Thapsigargin

To do this we compared expression profiles of Total RNA with and without ER stress, and Immunoaffinity purified RNA (RIP) with and without ER stress. Microarray results of INS-1 EGFP-L10a cells either untreated or treated with 1uM Thapsigargin (Tg) in triplicate. Both Total RNA and RNA isolated from ribosomal Immunoprecipitation (RIP) When unfolded proteins accumulate to irremediably high levels within the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), intracellular signaling pathways called the unfolded protein response (UPR) become hyperactivated to cause programmed cell death. We discovered that thioredoxin-interacting protein (TXNIP) is a critical node in this “Terminal UPR”. TXNIP becomes rapidly induced by hyperactivated IRE1a, an ER bifunctional kinase/endoribonuclease (RNase). IRE1a controls TXNIP mRNA stability by reducing levels of a TXNIP destabilizing micro-RNA, miR-17. In turn, elevated TXNIP protein activates the NLRP3 inflammasome, causing Caspase-1 cleavage and interleukin 1b (IL-1b) secretion. Txnip gene deletion reduces pancreatic b-cell death during ER stress, and suppresses diabetes caused by proinsulin misfolding in the Akita mouse. Finally, small molecule IRE1a RNase inhibitors suppress TXNIP production to block IL-1b secretion. In summary, the IRE1a-TXNIP pathway is used in the terminal UPR to promote sterile inflammation and programmed cell death, and may be targeted to develop new treatments for degenerative diseases driven by ER stress.